Clamp



octl so, 1923.

H. F. STARRETT CLAMP Filed Dec. 30 1920 Patented Get. 30, 1923.

" OT-FFVICEE...

HENRY F. STABRETT, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOSTA'BRETT'MFGi (10.,OE

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. p

CLAMP.- 7

Application filed December 30, 1920, Serial No. 134,3169.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY SrARRn'rr,

a citizen or" the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inClamps, of whlch the following 1s a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accom panying drawing forming apart of this SPQCllICZLtlOD. I This invention relates to a clampandfmore particularly to a reta ning clamp which 1s used to secure thetop or trim of a panelboard cabinet in proper position .on said cabinet.

In the assembly of panel board cabinets that it will securely hold thetrim in the de sired position. 7 I I One of the objects ofth1s.invent1on,therefore, resides in the production of a cabinet or trimclamp whichcan be quickly secured in position to hold the trim or coverin place and which presents a pleasing appearance for that portion ofthe clamp which. extends beyond the exterior of thecabinet.

Another object of the. invention resides in the production of a clampwhich islfitted with means which will automatically turn the clamp intothe clamping position when the clamp is tightened from the exterior ofthe cabinet.

A further object consists in the production of a clamp which willcompensate for variin tions in the respective horizontal lanes of theclamping surfaces, and whereby the clamp securing means extending to theexterior ot the cabinet will not be shifted oi tcenter and therebypresent an unsightly appearance on the exterior of the cabinet. I

An additional object of the invention're sides in the production of aclamp whichwill consist of a .few parts that can becheaply manufacturedand readily assembled. Otherobjects of the invention will be apparentfrom the following descriptiom the I accompanying illustrations and% theappend fed claims. i

For the purpose ofi desjcription the pre-i,

ferred embodiment of the invention is illus- 'trated, in theaccompanying drawings in which 2 V Fig. 1 is a plan viewof the topportion of the cabinetwith the trim clamp in position, a portion of thetrim or cover being broken away to more clearly show the position of theclamp;

- Fig. 2 is a transverse section of th cabineton the plane representedby the. line 2-2 showing theclamps in the clamping position' 7, i

Fig. 3 is a transverse seotion through the clamp proper;

Fig is a VIQW' in perspective of the clamping member; Figs. 5 and 6 areviews in perspective of the two parts of the nut; and

Fig. 7 is a. plan view of the rear face of theqparts of the clamp justprior to the final i I forming operation which interconnectsthe variousparts of thecclamp in their operating positionsp I p The clamp hereinillustrated and: de-

scribed-canobviously be'nsedtor a large Va ,riety otpurposes, but forthe purpose of.v description, the clamp has been shown as used with thetrim or cover of-the ordinary commercial form. of panel-board cabinet-When clamps are used. for this purpose, as illustrated in the drawings,one .of these clamps is ordinarily.andpreferably posi tioned in :eachcorner of the trim.

Fig. 1 shows the top portion8 of an ordinary oommercial'panel-boardcabinet; secured to this panel-board cabinet, by means of the clamps, isthe cover 9 which is ordinarily fitted .with' a door 10, preferablyhinged as; at 11, so as to give access to electrical equipmentpositioned insideof abarrier-trame .12; The cover or trim 9 is pro videdwith perforationsat each corner to receive asorew l3 used totighten theclamp from the exterior of the. cabinet when. the clamp is drawnup intoits holding position as shown vingFigxQ. r The clamp consists oftheclamping member 14 which has a fiat top surface 1 5 provided ateach-end with upwardly projecting clamping surfaces 17 and 18, and withclownwardly projecting parts such as 19. The top portion 15 of theclamping member is perforated at 20, and the side members are perforatedas shown at 21.

Cooperating with the clamping member 14 is a two-part nut 22. Thetwo-part nut comprises a top bowed section 23 which is fitted with athreaded perforation 24; and the projecting tangs 25 and 26. The topportion 23 is made of rel'ativelyheavy stock 7 as compared with thelower portion of the two-part' nut 27, which is constructed of The lowerpor-' comparatively light stock. tion 27 of the nut is fitted with athreaded perforation 28 and with the upwardly projecting ends 29 and 30which serve as pockets to receive the ends ofthe bowed portion 23, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

The threaded perforation 24 of'the bowed portion 23 of the two-part nutis in vertical alignment with the threaded perforation 28 of the part 27of the nut when the two parts not take the'exact position verticallywhich said thread would assume if these threads were tappedsimultaneously after the nut is assembled.

The perforation in the lower part 27 of the two-part nut is made so asto throw up the metal displaced for the purpose of perforation in theform of a burr around said perforation, and-this burr furnishes stock toobtain a substantial thread on the light piece of metal from which thepart 27 is made.

Due to the separate threading ofthesetwo parts of the nut and theconstruction as shown, it will be evident that when the screw 13 isthreaded into the nut, it will ad vance through the nut withsubstantially little friction through the threadedperfora: tion 2 1.However, when this screw strikes the threaded perforation of the part 27considerable resistance will be offered to the further advance of thescrew 13 because of the longitudinal displacement of the threads inthese two parts. This longitudinal displacement, as the screw isadvanced in the part 27 is compensated for by a slight displacementbetween the two partsof the nut, so as to bring these threadsintouvertical alignment. The additional resistance offered to theadvance of the screw 13 by the two of the bowedporton of the part 23resting in the upturned end pockets 29 and 30 of the part 27. Thisassembled nut is then positioned in the clamping member 14 before thesides 19 are bent into their final position, as is clearly illustratedin Fig. 7. When the nut is thus positioned the tangs25 and 26 will restin the perforation such as 21 in the sides 19 of the clamping member.lVhen the parts of the clamp are thus assembled the final formingoperation is performed which bends the sides 19 at substantial rightangles to the top 15, and thereby pivotally secures the two-part nut 22in the perforations 21 of the clamping member 14:.

When the clamp is to be used for clamping the trim or cover 9 to thecabinet 8, the cover is placed in position on the cabinet 8 with theclamps in full line position 30, as indicated in Fig. 1, the clampsbeing secured to the underside of the cover by the screws 13, as shownin Fig. 2. iVhen the cover or trim has thus been placed on the box ofthe cabinet, the screw 13 is tightened. Because of the resistanceoffered to the screw 13 in passing through the two-part nut, the turningof the screw 13 from the outside of the cabinet will turn with it thenut 22 and the clamping member 14. This turning move ment' of the nutand clamping member will continue until the end of the clamping memmerstrikes the side ofthe cabinet, as indicated in dotted lines at 31 inFig. 1. When the clamping member assumes'this position further turningthereof'is prevented, and the screw 13 will therefore advance throughthe two-part nut until the clamping member 14 is drawntight against theflange 32 of the side of the box and the cover or trim 8, therebysecurely and positively holding the trim or cover onto said flange.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 the horizontal plane of the lower surface ofthe cover 8 is slightly displaced from the horizontal plane of the lowersurface of the flange 32. Due to this displacement of the horizontalplanes on which the clamping surfaces 17 and 18 of the clamping member14L rest, it is necessary to provide the pivotal movement 'of thecabinet; The pivotal interconnectionv between the two-part nut 22,resulting from the loose positioning of the tangs 25 and 26 in theperforations 21, will permit the clamping member 1 1 to tilt and assumethe additional support for the cover or trim to compensate forthisdifference in the.

horizontal positions of the surfaces on which the clamping is to beeffected, and thus the screw 13 used to tighten the clamp will alwaysretain its true vertical position. irrespective of the position of'thesurfaces on which the clamping is effected. The lower surface of thehead of the screw 13, because of thiscompensation, will always rest flatagainst the top surface of the cover or trim.

In clamping the cover or trim 9 on the lower section 8 of a cabinet inwhich a barrier, such as 12 is used, it is ordinarily advisable toadjust the height of the barrier so that the lower surface of the frame32, which receives the door, will rest on the top edge of said barrierwhen the outer edge of the cover or frame rests on the top edge of theside walls of the cabinet. IVhen the barrier 12 is thus positioned, itacts as an when the cover is clamped in position on the lower port-ionof the cabinet 8.

It will now be evident from the foregoing description that by the use ofthe improved cabinet or trim clamp, as herein described, the trim orcover of a cabinet can be readily clamped into secure position on thecabinet by merely advancing the screws of the clamp positioned on theoutside of the cabinet, so that the clamping member 1a of the clamp willbe drawn forward and its clamping surfaces 17 and 18 drawn into firmcontact with the flange on the side of the cabinet and the under surfaceof the trim or cover. It will also be apparent that the clamp is securedwith means whereby the clamping member will automatically turn into theclamping position when the screw 18 is adanced to draw up the clampingmember 14.

Further, the screw 13 will always retain its true vertical position whenthe clamping member 14 is drawn into its clamping position, irrespectiveof the displacement of the horizontal planes in which the surfaces usedfor clamping are positioned; The horizontal displacement of the surfaceused for clamping at times may be very considerable, especially inpanel-board cabinet structures of the flush mounted type in which thelower section 8 of the cabinet is positioned in the wall and the coveror trim is positioned on the surface of the wall. In this type ofconstruction, the box 8 might not be accurately positioned in the wallso that the outer edges of the side walls will be exactly flush with thewall surface and under these con mg claims.

liVhat I claim as new and desire to secure as Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a clamping member, a nut secured'in saidclampinginember, means to secure said clamping member to the surface tobe clamped, said nut being provided with 1 means to efi'ectivelyincrease thefresistance.

offered to the aforesaid means after it has been introduced into saidnut an apprec1- able distance. r

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clampingmember, a nut secured to said member, means for securing the clampingmember to the surface to be clamped, and means associated with said nutwhereby said clamping member and nut-will turn with said securing meansuntil the clamping member strikes an effective resis ance. V 3. Inadevice of thecharaeter described,

in combination, a clamping member, a twopart nut, a screw cooperatingwith said nut, and threads on each part of said nut, said threads onsaid parts being discontinuous and separately threaded.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clampingmember, a twopart nut, threads on each part of said nut, the threads onone part being slightly displaced longitudinally with respect to thethreads on the other part. I

. 5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clampingmember, a twopart nut comprising a substantially heavy bowed part, and acomparatively light flat part, said fiat part fitted with upturned endpockets to receive the ends of said heavy bowed part, said two-part nutbeing fitted with aligned threaded perforations, and means for pivotallysecuring said nut in said clamping member.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, a one-piececlamping member comprising a flat top section, downwardly extendingsides on said clamping member having perforations positioned in saidsides, and a two-part nut pivotally secured in said perforations.

7. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a one-piece clamping mem ber comprising a flat topsection fitted with upwardly protruding end clamping surfaces anddownwardly extending sides having per forations positioned in saidsides, a perforation in said flat section in substantial alignment withsaid side perforations, a two-part nut, aligned threaded perforations insaid nut, and a threaded screw extending through the perforation'in saidflat section and into the threaded perforations of said two-part nut. V

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a one-piececlamping member comprising a flat top section fitted with upwardlyprotruding end clamping surfaces and downwardly extending sides havingperforations positioned in said sides, said flat section having aperforation in substantial alignment with said side perforations, atwo-part nut comprising a flat nut fitted with upturned end receivingpockets and a bowed part, the ends of which ride in said pockets, saidtworparts of said nut being fitted with aligned threaded perforations,laterally projecting tangs on said bowed part adapted to pivotallysecure said two-part nut in the side perforations of said clampingmember, and a threaded screw extending through the perforations in saidflat section and into the threaded perforations of said two-part nut.

9. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clampingineniber,a twopart nut secured to said clamping member having threadedperforations in each part of said nut, said threaded perforations beingaligned but discontinuous and slightly displaced longitudinally, saidclamping memher being fitted with a perforation substantially largerthan the perforation in said nut, and a screw passing through theperforation in said clamping member and into the threaded perforation ofsaid nut whereby said clamping member may be clamped onto surfacespositioned in different horizontal planes and the screw retain its truevertical position, said clamping member and nut turning with said screwwhen said screw enters the thread of the second part of said nut, saidturning continuing until said clamping member strikes an effectiveresistance.

10. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clampingmember, a twopart nut comprising a flat part fitted with upturnedreceiving pockets, and a bowed part the ends of which ride in saidpockets, said two parts of said nut being fitted with aligned threadedperforations, the perforation in the flat part of said nut resulting inan upturned burr to provide additional stock for threading purposes,lateral tangs on said bowed part of said nut, and means provided in saidclamping member to pivotally secure 7 said nut by means of said tangs insaid clamping member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY F. STARRETT.

